Student stabbed in chest during robbery on Seattle U campus

SEATTLE -- A 23-year-old Seattle University student is in serious condition at Harborview Medical Center after he was stabbed in the chest during a robbery on the university's campus, according to the Seattle Police Department.

According to police, the victim was walking back to campus shortly before 1:15 a.m. when he noticed two people following him. As he entered campus, the suspects reportedly knocked him over from behind and started punching him.

The victim later told officers he could feel the suspects going through his pockets and saw one of them pull out a knife during the attack. He also said there was a woman present during the robbery.

According to police, the suspects eventually ran off, and the victim pushed the button on a nearby emergency kiosk to summon campus security, who called 911.

"It ended up being a very important turn of events that he was able to get to that emergency phone and get help on the way quickly," said Executive Director of Public Safety Tim Marron.

Officers arrived and found two suspects hiding a few blocks away behind a fence, according to police. A third suspect was reportedly also found hiding a few blocks away; a K-9 unit found the suspect hiding in a compost pile at a recycling yard on campus.

"K9 (units) have an acute sense of smell so you can definitely run but you can't hide from them," said Marron.

The three suspects -- a 15-year-old boy, 16-year-old woman and 23-year-old man -- were arrested. The teens were booked into the Youth Services Center and the 23-year-old was booked into King County Jail.

The 23-year-old suspect, Brandon Pamon, is a three-time felon, having been convicted of burglary in 2009, attempted robbery in 2007 and robbery in 2006.

While the victim was being treated by the Seattle Fire Department, medics discovered the stab wound to his chest. According to police, the victim hadn't realized he'd been stabbed during the robbery.

"It's really easy in any environment to get comfortable with your surroundings, but try to increase your awareness and your alertness and find a safe way home," said Marron.